1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator. More particularly, to a refrigerator which can reduce generation of frictional noise between an insulation member and an inner case of the refrigerator, when the inner case is thermally deformed (i.e. expands or contracts in accordance with a variation of temperature).
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a conventional refrigerator generates cool air from an evaporator of a refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator, and the cool air is supplied into a storage compartment of the refrigerator, whereby the freshness of various food reserves stored in the storage compartment can be maintained for a long time.
Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-67649 discloses a conventional refrigerator which includes an outer case defining the outer appearance of a refrigerator body, an inner case received in the outer case and defining a storage compartment, and an insulation member filled in a gap between the outer case and the inner case for heat insulation. An evaporator is mounted in a rear region of the inner case and is adapted to cool air inside the storage compartment via heat exchange with the interior air of the storage compartment.
The evaporator is normally maintained at an extremely low temperature to cool the interior air of the storage compartment. However, when it is desired to defrost the surface of the evaporator in use, the evaporator has to be heated by use of a heater or high-temperature refrigerant. Thus, the evaporator often exhibits huge temperature variation.
When the evaporator is heated by use of the heater or high-temperature refrigerant for defrosting purposes, or the evaporator is returned to a low temperature after completion of defrosting, the temperature of the evaporator has a direct affect on a certain portion of the inner case adjacent to the evaporator. The affected portion of the inner case may expand or contract while exhibiting a huge temperature rise or drop. On the other hand, the insulation member, which comes into close contact with an outer surface of the inner case, is made of a low heat conductivity material, such as urethane, for heat insulation, and therefore, exhibits less temperature variation, resulting in little heat deformation including expansion and contraction.
Accordingly, when the inner case exhibits a huge temperature variation, for example, when the evaporator is heated for defrosting or is cooled via the supply of a low-temperature refrigerant thereinto after completion of defrosting, friction may be generated between the insulation member, which experiences little expansion or contraction, and the outer surface of the inner case which expands or contracts. As a result, the disclosed conventional refrigerator suffers from the generation of frictional noise between the inner case and the insulation member.